Job 1:21 (NIV)
The Lord giveth and the lord taketh away. -
Job 1:21 (The Message)
21 Naked I came from my mother's womb, naked I'll return to the womb of the earth.God gives, God takes. God's name be ever blessed.
Proverbs 18:21 (NIV)
21 The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.
Proverbs 18:21 (The Message)
21 Words kill, words give life; they're either poison or fruit—you choose.
Matthew 4:4 (NIV)
4Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"
Matthew 4:4 (The Message)
4Jesus answered by quoting Deuteronomy: "It takes more than bread to stay alive. It takes a steady stream of words from God's mouth."
Matthew 17:20 (NIV)
20He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."
Matthew 17:20 (The Message)
20"Because you're not yet taking God seriously," said Jesus. "The simple truth is that if you had a mere kernel of faith, a poppy seed, say, you would tell this mountain, 'Move!' and it would move. There is nothing you wouldn't be able to tackle." Matthew 18:20 (NIV)
20For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them."
Matthew 18:20 (The Message)
20When two of you get together on anything at all on earth and make a prayer of it, my Father in heaven goes into action. And when two or three of you are together because of me, you can be sure that I'll be there."
Matthew 20:16 (NIV)
16"So the last will be first, and the first will be last."
Matthew 20:16 (The Message)
16"Here it is again, the Great Reversal: many of the first ending up last, and the last first."
Mark 8:34 (NIV)
34Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
Mark 8:34 (The Message)
34Calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, "Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You're not in the driver's seat; I am. Don't run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I'll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to saving yourself, your true self."
Mark 8:36 (NIV)
36What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?
Mark 8:36 (The Message)
36What good would it do to get everything you want and lose you, the real you? What could you ever trade your soul for?
John 1:1 (NIV)
1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
John 1:1 (The Message)
1-2 The Word was first, the Word present to God, God present to the Word. The Word was God, in readiness for God from day one.
John 3:3 (NIV)
3In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."
John 3:3 (The Message)
3Jesus said, "You're absolutely right. Take it from me: Unless a person is born from above, it's not possible to see what I'm pointing to—to God's kingdom."
John 3:16 (NIV)
16"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16 (The Message)
16This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life.
2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV)
9But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.
2 Corinthians 12:9 (The Message)
9-10My grace is enough; it's all you need.My strength comes into its own in your weakness.Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ's strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size—abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become.
Ephesians 2:10 (NIV)
10For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Ephesians 2:10 (The Message)
10God does both the making and saving. He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing.
Philippians 1:6 (NIV)
6being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
Philippians 1:6 (The Message)
6There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears.
Philippians 4:19 (NIV)
19And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:19 (The Message)
19You can be sure that God will take care of everything you need, his generosity exceeding even yours in the glory that pours from Jesus. Our God and Father abounds in glory that just pours out into eternity.
Colossians 3:2 (NIV)
2Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
Colossians 3:2 (The Message)
2Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don't shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that's where the action is. See things from his perspective.
2 Timothy 1:7 (NIV)
7For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.
2 Timothy 1:7 (The Message)
7God doesn't want us to be shy with his gifts, but bold and loving and sensible.
2 Timothy 3:16 (NIV)
16All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,
2 Timothy 3:16 (The Message)
16Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another—showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God's way. Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us.
Hebrews 13:8 (NIV)
8Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
Hebrews 13:8 (The Message)
8There should be a consistency that runs through us all. For Jesus doesn't change—yesterday, today, tomorrow, he's always totally himself.
1 John 4:4 (NIV)
4You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
1 John 4:4 (The Message)
My dear children, you come from God and belong to God. You have already won a big victory over those false teachers, for the Spirit in you is far stronger than anything in the world.
Revelation 22:13 (NIV)
13I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.
Revelation 22:13 (The Message)
12-13"Yes, I'm on my way! I'll be there soon! I'm bringing my payroll with me. I'll pay all people in full for their life's work. I'm A to Z, the First and the Final, Beginning and Conclusion.